“He sat down opposite the treasury

and observed how the crowd put money into the treasury. 

Many rich people put in large sums.

A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents. 

Calling his disciples to himself, he said to them,

‘Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more

than all the other contributors to the treasury. 

For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth,

but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had,

her whole livelihood.’”

One of the most generous people I have known was the owner of his own business and has since passed away, God rest his soul. He was challenged early in his success by a Baptist friend of his to give 10% of his income or earnings to the church and other charitable causes. He discerned that was a worthy goal and began giving at that level, but because of his success, he realized at the end of each year that he was having to adjust upward just to make the 10%. After some further discernment, he and his wife decided that they would give at 20% of their income and earnings. For them, it began to feel like a race to see how much they could give away. After ensuring an inheritance and ownership of the company to their children, they formed a charitable foundation for their company, for each of themselves, and for the family as a whole. To meet a need in one campaign, they were able to give 1.8 million dollars through those entities to secure a future vision for the mission of the gospel in a parish community. Their generosity encouraged the generosity of others to reach a common goal. Their generosity was over and above expectations. It was sacrificial love for God and others. 

Our relationship with money is an important step on the journey of faith. Jesus talks more about money and wealth than about almost anything else. Our problem is thinking about the church as only asking for more money. We tend to see it as a scarcity of resources game. A limited amount of financial resources must be divided among competing needs. Certainly, there are needs to be met, but our paradigm usually equates a gain for one as a loss for another. We are typically set in an either/or mindset. I choose to see it as God’s bountiful abundance. God provides all the resources necessary to meet his purposes through us. In my own journey of faith, I have come to see my salary as a gift. As with any gift from God, it also carries with it a responsibility to use it for his purpose and glory. I am both grateful for the gift and excited to see how God can use it to help meet the needs of others. While there is no specific mandate, it provides me freedom to also think of 10% of my income as the baseline for my giving. I am often called to go beyond that amount for particular needs, but it is always a prayerful response to God’s work and action. My generosity brings me joy, satisfaction, and a deep sense of belonging in community and for a common goal. I am a happy giver. 

Today’s gospel reading teaches us an important lesson. For God, it is not about the amount we can give, whether large or small. Instead, it is about sacrifice, our giving being a true act of love. When we come to see love for others as the basis of our relationship with money and our generosity, it grounds us in the kingdom of God. It provides a guidepost for our decisions and freedom to experience the joy of a generous spirit. We are destined for an eternity of love, the gift of giving and receiving all that we are and have. Our choice to give now prepares us for eternity. Jesus has given us the greatest gift, his life upon the cross for ours. In love, we simply return it.